The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-02-03
Home Life in Mexico.
MEXICAN DINNER. THE MENU. TABLE MAN
NERS. DINING-RODM CONNENIENCES.
Cores pondence of the journal

| IACArIAS. MEXICO. Jan. 1887. | inv itc YOU
to dine with me to-day, dear friends, a Ia Mex
icana. AS am myself guest. we must touch
the subject tenderly, for-while the truth may
be told at all times-wc would not abuse the
generous hospitality shown us every where in
Mexico by indulyiny in invilo,s comparisons.
In spirit of mutual good feeling, then. re-
membering that the customs of all lands differ
and that a Mexican would probably find as
much to object to in our methods as we in his,
let us repair to the dininy-room. Generally the
most welcome words that greet my ears are
''VAMUS A CONFER
-(''let us 30 to dinncr"1 for in Mexico nobody
breakfasts American fashion. but takes only Il
tiny cup of chocolate or coffee with little loaf
of Mexican bread which resembles a badly
''raiSed' biscuit. without butter or other ac-
compartment = Immediately on arising That
is the des0ynns ar Mmorror. Among the up
per classes the real breakfast is much like an
American dinner. served in various courses.
accompanied by wines. and generally occurs
between eleven o'clock Il. III. and two in the af-
ternoon. As may be imagined, by that hour
our healthy Yankee appetitc> are .'>harp set
enough to do Justice to any mcnu. however uli-
gue>Sable conundrum the ingredients Of the
dishes may be.
| Unlike other rooms OF the house. the c"ntedof
(dinng-room) is often not even tiled with
brick. ccmcncd or tloored at all-hut its hard
surface, though worn into hollowS here and
there. is carefully swept and kept as sweet and
clean as would not he possible with carpets in
| this insrrt-l in.r tnuutrN of cn,Irsp There,
are houses. especially in the City Of Mexico
where the dnn"-room is a marvel of luxury
but we are speaking of that of the average we'll
to-,lo Mexican. and Of the cust, like thousands
of its class, which has been my home for many
months. In Mexico carpets are a comparative
| ly rare luxury in any part of the hou>cand
very >en>ibIy, for the tiled floors. or those of
cement, tint ii in soft colorS and shining like
marble. are much more beautiful and suited to
the tropical climate.
The c"heI0r of liy temporary home opens
into the sunny inner court, which at this time
of year is full of fruits and flowers. Being
paved with rough stones. the court is raised a
few inches above the level of the dning-roon.
and therefore when the brief torrents of rain
come which are common in this latitude Il small
flood pour> in and forms small lakes in the hol
lows made by much showing about Of chairs
which the servants make haste to
BAIL Ot'r WITH PLATES.
| The one enormously wide window is of rour~"
| barred on the outside. and it, massive inner
shutters without Stats made exactly like those
| of Il shop or barn Il are never unrlo>r'l. This
house, like many others in the interior Of Men
leo, has not pane of glass anywhere, but its
great windows, With their deep lcd-e> and pro
tecting bars are charmin@ly quaint and pirtIr
e>que-after you get used to the fashion 50
| foreign to American IDEAS
| As there is no communicating passage be-
tween ,lining-room and kitchen. the outer door
Of the former stands always Hospitality wiIc
| open. both in summer and winter - for other
| wise it would be is dark a> dungeon unless
the shutters Were unclo~cd and in the latter
case, tthe great window opening directly on
the street. the lrpefos and other -amin would
swarm around III such numbers that enjoyment
of the meal would be impossible.
In rather incungruou> contrast to the dirt
| floor is handsome mahogany >rboar,l. with
| much glass ware shining upon it. some distract
ing pieces of old blue china. and queer articles
of Guadalajara pottery in the lino of Watcl-lar>.
| etc. which we long to possess. The corners Of
| the room are adorned With wl>ll-stanc>, with
| bowl and towel accompanimeNts- conNr-
ience of which is 10y and 10y apparent in lieu Of
| tinyer-bowl>.
The most distinguished guest is given the post
| of honor ut the head Of the table, other guests
are seated at his right and left and the host and
| hostess place themselves wherever ii happens.
When we enter there is nothing upon the table
but pile of plates. heap of knives. forks and
| spoons. and Il cluster oi robl,t>;lll at the foot
| of the table, where stands
| THE HEAD WAIIFR.
If this important functionarv is Il woman. her
head and shoulders arc usually wrapped IN her
reboSo, (for she wears only a skirt and chem
i>e). and the ends of the national long shawl
have an uncomfortable habit Of tapping into
the soup and therein helping to flavor the whole
| bill of fare. If the waiter he Il man. he Of
| course wears no coat but frequently the omlli-
| present sarape (natNe bIankc0 is thrown over
his shoulders. and his precious >omhrnro is III
ways upon his head, partially covering his flow
| iny locks.
This midday meal. whether we call it break
! fast or dinner, is such an exceedingly crre
| monouS affair as to nccc>>tatc Great number
of plates to each person. There is little Nari;'
| ton in the menu. one meal being nearly the
exact counterpart of all others during the year.
| rs the servants emerge from among the roses
| of the courtyard bearing our ambro>ia, we
| think of fairy tales and the Arabian Nights
only these atcnlant> do not much resemble
| orthodox fairies nor is the food they bring en-
| actly like the ambro>i; of our ina. .nation.
| First. broth is served in small china tra-clp>.
| each cup covered with hot toHiNo (pan cake
and is set upon a plate, which also holds Il haze
brass spoon. McNcan> have a peculiar fond
ness for fat of all kinds. passion for that spec
| les of red hot peppers called chill and Il settled
| belief that onions necessary to life and
| happiness As salt and sunshinc hence this
| broth-and every other dish, for that matter
| is always very greasy, very oniony, and burn
| in" with ch-pcppcr. If there happens to be
| any ripe fruit in the hol>e-noahly grapes li5>
| or pomcgrantcs- it is put into the broth and
| eaten with it.
| The other day I saw with delighted eyes some
big yellow peaches being carried into the con}e-
| dor, and went to dinner in happy anticipation
| of at last having something to eat like home
| food. But what do you suppose they did with
those peaches. Actually sliced them, every
one, into the greasy, garicy broth.
THE SECOND COURSE
| is always "sopa"-either vermice!ii, rice, or
macaroni, first boiled in water and then fried
| in oil with much garlic and yarni>hcd with
| slices of green peppers. Sometimes >tcWed to-
| matoes are mixed with it, or goats milk cheese
| is crumbed upon it, and the greasy mixture is
| eaten with spoon.
| Then comes the main dish of the meal which
| never varies throughout the whole course of a
MeNican's natural life--the same at least once
| Il day throughout the 800 days of every year
| an Ola podrida of boiled beef, mutton, sausage,
| chicken, pork, veal, cabbage, onions, small
green apples or pears with various tropical
| roots, seeds, bulbs and vegetables not known at
| the North all cooked together in one pot. 1t
| is served in a promscuous heap on y big plat
| ter, and is eaten with chili-Saucc to which red
| hot Goals would be a mild comparison. The
| amount of pepper which the smallest children
here devour as calmly as ours do candy, in